Machine for opening and softening counters of shoes.



W. H. SARGENT.

MACHINE FOR OPENING AND SOFTENING COUNTERS 0F SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB'. 2l. 1916. I 1,192,463. Patented July 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w.H. SARGENT. MACHiNE FOR OPENING A'ND SOFTENING COUNTERS-0F SHOES.

APPLRCATON FILED FEB. 2i, 1916.

July 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fnl/enla?" forfgy Patented ww vg. S

Lfanafrnn.

Sgecicm'ian ci' Letters Patent.

Applicatin ed February 21, i316. Serial No. $9555.

To fil whom t may concern Be it lin-own that I, WiLLrAM H. Snia- Gn-N'i, :L citizen of the Uned Sintes, 131516.- ng at Lynn, in the county of Essex, maffe of Mnsrmclnisetts, have invented a. certain new und useful lmprcvemeni; in Machines' for (Evening und Seitening Counters of Slroesfnf n'llsn the following i s a. specifica- -ion, rcare boing had thercm L0 the nf;- comnnnyng drawings "he jenn-ral object. of the nventmn ls to provide menus fo |.'f pnnng or spraad1ng-t-he Connie-.r of n new boot or shoe to sunlltn trying the 'lutter 0n well as avoid pres# surn ngnins opposite sides of the Wnnrers 'nach and also for softening thecountsr in render the same easy und comfortable to the wearer, v Y

ln the 5mt@ in which new boobs und. Shoes are placed on sal@ in retail stores or shops? (the. nonnter :if :L boot- (nt shoe has been mel ed nr Slrzrped to so small. n wdn in the n per pnron thegof that di@ opnnxng between he onpos sdes is too narrow to permit the rcndv insertion of' n persons heel, and is SG l l .l wv narrow that if the 51nd heel 1s fin-cci flown into ,)lnc the ,pressure o the har`L upper sides of the 'mel tends to produc?. clscom" fort and *pn-in, wlfl. Qlmh'ng zrnfl blistering. 'in practice salesman., on nnng pair of .shone-s from n nox or Carton fm the purpose ff ini-ing n cnslnmnr, lnun'xnnlilies anni) shoe in urn fn open and soft@ its counter.

nsnnl rnffllo is no linlal n Shoe firmly n @ne lu'xm and nrgly s'amng ,j; nase ni" tlm palm of lle other lm'nd in in?, lmcl( of {.nn counter o" tlve. slxov. so :1s Crns: nlm counter mvudly, thereby sprezzdng t? ihn manipulation Ming-1anntlnued unl lre @fumier has been brmxdenn om?. und snfcncd to the ext-@ni which lx@ deems proper. ln performing; dais manipuuon Liften occurs that ihn ni 'par 0f slm@ is af-Jlmrntel from alle 'mund the ln. e or me counter, leavin )anzug nr Ill om the so? Yhas@ nlrn'as me iin an y larg@ numv @d ion; llve. in in@ nctnres in be wu in goed Snape again. This nmils .'erj' consllrable expense nn more or x rncnvnnien:

The. nvenon cnnsxsts 'in a machina na will in between Una-.n1 and in which is so contrived :1s to enable tlrevopenlng and Scfemng operations to be per `orxml better :md more conveniently than by hand nmnipnlaton, and without. any liability to injure a Shoe. in the foregoing respect-s.

The, drawings show a llnvenent embodiment of the invention, .vlxch latter is noi; restricted to this particular mode of embodixnen.

n {Eredrnwngs FiUxn-e l .is a side elevaon of a mnclxne comprising the sie-id emn bodimeut. 2 is n front elevation of the, 1g. 3 rs a plan, new ther@ Said machine. of. Fig. fl is a. side elevation of thnxna# clxna with u slm-:1, applied thernto, lluNr-n-vt` ing the mail@ of inwfrato-x'l, che handle of the operating lever being broken o'. Fig 5 is a view looking from the right hand sde in i, pnrs of the, operating' leven an'c sho? being braken away.

nfnff" dune e.

nfl; i@ la@ int-rmluccd within the counter 0in slme, naar. n.5 pern't ilse top of n Shoe Lo bn manner pro- Y im relative mnfement from nach onne :and manne; wlrielr a'nthe will Gf th. operatintlwy may be nlossfl t0- gather nnnn the nnrpnsed baci; the slice. munter, The

l inside, livel-1 l :jflnpim he, inserted within n slum cnn Figs. Il and 5i so i0 :nuke i1-minut with ilu: interior o the laer, and the onsk lllfeck 2- s nclaped tn acingnnrs the ,rior nf the counter. The Snppmng means :Innssts of a stand E? 1m-ving n lmfr-r inn ctng :wr- Ba on n'lncr one Snrmnrxnlwr :nonni-eil., and nn upper n 3b fm the. other 'from vns for so sl'zpportng the presser-Y reference to the drawings, mn-l Q:lylng my .lnvenizmn comprlsesf .f two presser-members, one of which is ndap-AV this case is the lower one, 1, it being fixed in position upon the projecting arm 3, and

the movable presser-member is the upper one, 2, it being mounted in connection with the upper arm 3b in a manner permitting it to have movement relative to such arm. The stand 3 is adapted to be mounted upon the top of a table or counter, as 4, or upon a shelf, near one edge of the particular support that may be utilized, so that the arm 3a shall project beyond the said edge as indicated in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 of the drawings. The extent of the projection of the arm 3a and block 1 beyond the edge of the support 4 is sufficient to enable a shoe to be passed over the said block and arm until the shoe counter is properly applied to the block as in Fig. 4. The particular means of mountving the block 2 movably in connection with the supporting arm 3b comprises pins 5, 5, having their lower ends connected fixedly with the said block and their stems fitted to holes in the outer end of the said arm 3" and surrounded above the latter by expanding spiral springs G, 6, which are confined between nuts 7, 7, upon the threaded upper e portions of the stems and the bottoms of spring-receiving sockets that are formed in the upper portion of the arm. These springs serve to support block 2 normally in elevated position in contact with the under side of the outer end of the supporting arm 3, while leaving such block free to be moved toward the fixed block 1. In the movement of the block 2 toward and from the block l the pins guide the block 2 in its movements. The means .for operating the movable block 2 comprises, in this instance, an operating lever 8 having a handle-portion 8a. This lever is mounted ivotally at 8h in a slot made in the outer eng of the supporting arm 3", and it is formed with a short arm 8 carrying an anti-friction roll 8d which makes contact with the upper surface of the block 2 midway between the pins 5, 5. Movement of the lever forward and downward around its pivot 8" will cause the antifriction roll 8d to transmitpressurc to the top of the block 2 and to bear down the said block toward the block 1, the said anti-frio tion roll traveling rearwardly along the top of the block as the lever turns and the block descends. When the lever is freed or given an upward and rearward movement the springs (i, (l, will raise the block 2 to its original Vor normal position, and usually will act through the block to return the operating lever to its normal position.

T he two presser-members or blocks l, 2, are shaped for cooperation with each other and for action in connection with the colui- ,ter of the shoe so that when a shoe is ap-` plied to the lower block 1, in Figs; 4 and 5, with lts counter' surrounding the said block and the interior Surface of the back of the counter resting upon such block, the said block 1 will support the counter at opposite sides of the apex of its back, to or substantially to the top of the counter, and pressure applied by the presser-member or block 2 against the exterior of the back of the counter will flatten the curvature of the said back, spreading the sides thereof apart, and bend and work the materials comprised in the counter. Thereby the counter will be opened or spread and the hard counterstiffener will be softened and rendered flexible.

Preferably, the acting portion of the inside block or presser-member 1 is concaved and that of the outside block or ressermember 2 is convex, in order that W en the two blocks or presser-members are caused to close together upon an interposed counter and around it the counter of a shoe and to support the counter at opposite sides of its apex to or substantially to the upper edge of the counter, an outside block or pressermember adapted to act upon the exterior of the back of such counter and through cooperation with said inside block or ressermember flatten the curvature of the ack of the counter so as to open or spread the counter laterally and render it flexible, and means for producing relative movement of approach and separation of the said blocks or presser-members.

2. A machine for opening and softening counters of shoes, comprising an inside block or presser-member having a concave working face adapted to receive upon and around it the counter of a. shoe and to support the counter at opposite sides of its apex to or substantially to the upper edge of the counter, an outside block or' presser-member adapted to act upon the exterior of the back of' such counter and through coperation with said inside block or presser-member flatten the curvature of the said back so as to open or spread the counter laterali and render it flexible, and means for pro ucing relative movement of approach and Separation of the said blocks or presser-members.

I. A machine for opening and softening counters of shoes, comprising an inside block or pressure-member adapted to receive upon and around it the counter .of-a shoe and to support the counter at opposite sides of its apex to or substantially to the upper edge of the counter, an outside block or presser-member having a convex Working face adapted t0 act upon the exterior of the back of such counter and throughr cooperation with said inside block or presser-member Hatten the curvature of the Said back so as to open or spread the counter laterall and render it exible, and means for pro ucing relative movement of approach and separation of the said blocks 10 or resser-members.

n testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SARGENT.

Vitnesses: h

CIIAs. F. RANDALL, ELLEN O. SPRING. 

